An official who didn’t wish to be named told PTI that the Chairman of PCB Zaka Ashraf had asked Inzamam to accompany the team on the coming tours to India and South Africa.

“As far as India is concerned, Inzamam expressed his regrets as he has already signed some contracts with a TV channel to work as an expert during the coming series,” the official said.

“And for the South Africa tour Inzamam has said he will confirm his availability to us soon but the Chairman wants him to go with the team,” he added.

Inzamam, who is Pakistan’s most capped player with 120 Test and 378 ODIs appearances also attended the first day of the national training camp for the tour to India on Saturday.

“Inzamam was in the camp today and worked with some of the batsmen,” he said.

The appointment of Inzamam as a batting consultant comes at a time when the board is yet to decide on the appointment of a batting coach.

The PCB had invited interested candidates from abroad and in Pakistan to apply for the batting coach position until a deadline last month.

But since than although the board says it had received some very impressive CVs for the batting coach position it had delayed the matter.

A well informed source in the board said it apparently that the board had decided to give Inzamam and permanent role in the team but due to the certain criteria it had set for the post of batting coach, it had appointed him as batting consultant.

Pakistan will go to South Africa in the third week of January to play three Tests, five ODIs and a couple of T20 matches.

First Published on December 15, 2012, 9:10 pmLast updated on December 15, 2012, 9:10 pm